Supreme Court Declines Judicial Intervention in 2027 Census Caste Enumeration Protocols, Directs Executive Review of Procedural Concerns

In a significant ruling on administrative jurisdiction, the Supreme Court of India has declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the proposed procedures for recording caste data in the upcoming 2027 national census. The bench, exercising judicial restraint, emphasized that matters of census methodology and demographic data collection fall primarily within the executive domain of the government and specialized statistical authorities. However, in a nuanced directive, the Court has formally referred the substantive concerns raised in the petition to both the Central Government and the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India for thorough examination. The PIL, filed by petitioner Aakash Goel, highlighted potential procedural and constitutional questions regarding caste enumeration mechanisms. This judicial referral, while stopping short of adjudication, creates a formal channel for executive consideration of these methodological issues, ensuring they receive appropriate administrative scrutiny ahead of census preparations. The decision underscores the Court's role in channeling policy debates to appropriate forums while maintaining the constitutional separation of powers, setting a precedent for judicial handling of complex pre-legislative and pre-administrative procedural challenges.